Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Reno (6:35 p.m. PT)
July 7, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
THREE'S COMPANY: Tacoma had two individual three-homer games in three outings, after going just over seven years without one. When Brian O'Keefe hit three home runs on July 2 in a 5-4 (10) home win over Salt Lake, driving in all five Rainiers runs, he was the first to go yard thrice since Justin Ruggiano on 6/27/15 vs. El Paso at Cheney Stadium. O'Keefe enjoyed the distinction for fewer than 48 hours, as Zach Green teed off for three homers in four innings on July 4 at Reno (7 RBI), in an 11-4 victory. Green had Tacoma's first 7-RBI game since Chris Herrmann on 4/18/18, at home vs. Albuquerque. The only four-homer game in Tacoma's Triple-A history remains with Randy Bass, of the 1977 Tacoma Twins (June 9 at Phoenix).
HE'S AN O'K PLAYER: After hitting five homers during the recent weeklong series at home vs. Salt Lake, and a knock last night, Tacoma catcher/DH Brian O'Keefe has reached base with either a walk or base hit in 37 of the 42 games he's played this season, after returning from a broken hamate bone on April 27. O'Keefe is batting .302 with a .965 OPS (.380/.585), with 10 home runs, 23 extra-base hits and 19 walks since returning to action (25 RBI).
MEJIA MASH: Tacoma INF/OF Erick Mejia is 14-for-40 (.350) during his last 10 games (2 HR, 5 doubles). Mejia is OPSing 1.038 during this span (dating to June 22), as he's slugging .625 over his last 46 plate appearances (5 BB).
BING BONG BLANDINO: Rainiers infielder Alex Blandino has reached base safely in 20 of his last 23 games, dating to June 7. He's drawn 23 walks in that span, for an OBP of .449 and is batting .274 in this stretch with a .956 OPS and 14 runs scored (16 RBI). Blandino walked three times on July 4, and got two hits in the 11-4 win.
THE OPEN-R: After Monday's 11-4 win, Tacoma is 10-5 in series openers, accounting for 29.4% of their win total. That mark includes a 6-2 record on the road in lid-lifters, including their last two in the Biggest Little City (May 31 and July 4).
COULDN'T ROLL ME A SEVEN: Despite the Rainiers winning the division by five games over second-place Reno last season, at 87-126 (.408) since 2009, the Aces are by far Tacoma's worst matchup over that span. The Rainiers have bucked the historical Reno trend recently however, and have won 17 of their last 26 games at Greater Nevada Field.
IN KEL'S KITCHEN: Tacoma outfielder Jarred Kelenic is batting .327 over his last 11 games, hitting safely in 10. His OPS is .952 (.375/.577) in that span (since June 22), thanks to seven doubles and two homers (10 RBI, 6 R). During a see-saw extra-inning affair vs. Salt Lake on June 29 at home, he twice tied the game (in the 10th and 12th) with an RBI single in an eventual 6-5 Rainiers win in 12. Earlier this season, Kelenic compiled the longest Tacoma hit streak of 2022, 13 games between May 24 and June 8.
LEAD-R-BOARD: With four stolen bases in Sunday's 3-2 win over Salt Lake, Tacoma re-took the Triple-A lead in steals from Buffalo (102) and went over 100 on the season (105, with one on Wednesday). Rainiers OF Forrest Wall is third in the PCL in stolen bases, with 24. Tacoma's 110 home runs are fifth-most in Triple-A.
Pacific Coast League Stories from July 7, 2022
- OKC Dodgers Postgame Notes: July 7, 2022 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Space Cowboys Win Over El Paso - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Riley Smith, Bullpen Lead Isotopes to 5-2 Victory over Express - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Isotopes Take 5-3 Victory over Express on Thursday - Round Rock Express
- Space Cowboys Game Notes vs. ELP - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Reno (6:35 p.m. PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- River Cats' HR Leader Villar Named to SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game - Sacramento River Cats
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - July 7, 2022 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Minor League Baseball Announces June Players and Pitchers of the Month; Aviators INF Vimael Machín Named Triple-A PCL Player of the Month - Las Vegas Aviators
- Hunter Brown and Yainer Diaz Selected to All-Star Futures Game - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Dodgers Win Over Las Vegas - Oklahoma City Comets
- R Extra-Inning, 1-Run Magic Continues at Reno - Tacoma Rainiers
- Reno Rallies Late, Falls Short in 3-2 Loss to Tacoma - Reno Aces
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